Back from the Photographer (Patreon)

Sometimes I think about how much work goes into this. Not just the painting, but the framing, varnishing, photographing it. All that kind of work. It really makes me want to make work that is worth doing all that work for. Because if you're going to go through all that, you have to believe in it. Otherwise what are you putting all that effort toward?

This is Annie Appel. She's holding up a print she made to replicate the colors, that's the photoshop document open on her computer and that's me holding the painting. 

Annie's a total pro. She worked for the LA county museum of art photographing their collection. Her fine art photography is in the Smithsonian. 

She has her process for capturing the painting. She takes really high resolution photos of the painting, then she prints out a section of the painting at scale, full size, and holds it up to the painting to see if the colors and contrast match, then she goes and makes adjustments. Then does it again. Then tests out how other areas of the painting are looking. It's an art unto itself.  

She captured my work perfectly. It's insane what a difference it makes to have art photographed professionally. Especially by someone of her caliber. 

She didn't want me to take pictures of the discarded prints next to the painting. She said "that's my process." I told her it would be only for my patreon and she said that was okay. So here's one of the test prints next to the painting. This one had the right color but the contrast was off.

Here's what the finished photo looks like.

Anyway. This will come in handy if and when I decide to make prints, or if there is ever an art book, or whatever. 

Some of my dumbest art regrets I have are not having a high quality photo or scan of a piece that sells. 

Happy January 22nd everybody 

I varnished the Cave today. It's drying. 

I had a piece of toast with peanut butter on it for breakfast.

It's still raining pretty hard. 

When I picked up the painting from Annie's studio, we had to wrap it in garbage bags and sneak it out her backdoor under an umbrella to keep it out of the rain. It looked like we were stealing it.

I ate at a really good Vietnamese restaurant with a friend after I picked up the painting. we shared this fried noodle with beef plate and I got brisket pho. 

Driving home that night was scary. It was that heavy rain where you turn the windshield wipers on all the way up and you still can't see. 

I ate the other half of my pho for lunch.

I've been working on more sketches for that mask painting. 

January is quickly coming to an end. I have not started the art life and lives video, the intro to drawing bad art video, or the mask prompt. 

So I'm going to try and get all that done in a week. Don't know if I can. But they'll come as soon as possible.

I started the Art Lives video today. I'll work on the mask as much as I can at night.

Here's Annie's dog helping with the process.

Have fun,

Goodnight Sweeties